CG Communications

Welcome to the world of communications

As I begin preparing myself for the career hunting road ahead, many thoughts run through my mind. Communications is such a diverse field to enter…where should I start?

My guess is that I’m not the only emerging professional feeling this way. I’m sure for all students, regardless of age, starting a new career is always a jolting experience. First, you need to decide what type of organization you would like to be a part of and then you have to locate the opportunities.

Today’s high tech society offers us a bit of a double-edged knife. In one way we have a wealth of opportunities at our fingertips. With the power of the Internet, we are able to browse jobs and companies in a blink of an eye. We can read bios and profiles, reports and websites, contacts and customer reviews. By the time we decide to apply for a position, we already feel like part of the company because we know so much. On the other side of that knife, this quick access to information makes for a highly competitive job market where e-mails are disregarded just as fast as they are received. We no longer live in a time where you can personally hand your well thought out resume to the HR manager and sneak in a personal introduction. Those days are in the past.

Emerging professionals need to be strategic…especially in PR and Corporate Communications. Selling yourself without saying a word is a hard skill to master. It’s sometimes easier to persuade someone to listen to you when you’re right there in-front of them. It’s not as easy over an e-mail. So how do we get noticed in that massive HR inbox?

Here are some tips that I’ve come across along the way:

1. Be creative…no one wants to read the same old cover letter over and over again. Don’t copy and past some random template, rather use your communications skills to create something original and attention grabbing. Using the same type of language as the organization will help; show them you’ve done your research.

1. Market yourself…have a strong and positive on-line and off-line presence. Make sure you have a list of professional references and on-line achievements you can use at the drop of a dime. Blogs and professional networking sites are some good examples to use. Also, monitor your on-line presence, if the person in-charge of hiring types your name into a Google search, pictures of you praying to the porcelain God should never pop up. Reputation is everything when trying to land a new job.

1. Research, research, research…there are numerous opportunities out there. Do your research to find them. You can use on-line career sites such as Workopolis, Monster, national on-line newspaper classifieds or company websites.
   

1. Match your cover letter to reflect the posting…grabbing their attention off the get go is crucial. Use some key phrases or words from the initial job posting in your opening lead. Hook them at the beginning by telling them why they need to read on. It’s unfortunate, but we only have one chance to impress, before they press…delete message. We want them to read on and open our attached resume. The cover letter should do just that. I wish there was a simple formula or template…but everyone is unique and all opportunities are different. Tailor your cover for each every job you’re applying to.

1. Don’t give up…it’s not easy to find that perfect career. Don’t get discouraged if you aren’t hearing back from companies. Instead, review your resume and cover letter to see where you may be going wrong. Try having a colleague or friend review it for you. Above all, remember that searching for that perfect career is hard work and a job in itself…if you put in the effort, you will eventually see the results.

Good luck to all job seekers in the field, I wish you all the success. If you have some helpful tips that you would like to share, please post them for others to read.